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Ambedkar’s understanding of the question of the identity and existence of the nation was based on his incisive analysis of the oppressive character of Brahmanism that pervaded a society built around the caste system, writes Ronki Ram

Om Prakash Valmiki’s short stories focus on aspects of Dalit life overlooked by the big names of Hindi literature, says Suresh Kumar

Manipulation of truth continues to incite division, violence, and oppression. As ever, the voices of Phule, Du Bois and Ambedkar ring true. Their intellectual arguments, political positioning, activism, bold and uncompromising stand on securing human rights for all people remain relevant for the transformation of societies everywhere, writes P. Dayanandan

On the 118th anniversary of the first order issued by a government in India to implement reservations in state services, we republish a letter the issuer of that order, Shahu of Kolhapur, wrote to Lord Sydenham, former governor of the Bombay Presidency, explaining why caste-based reservations were an absolute necessity

These are marriages between two people of the same caste, arranged by family cops – parents, elders, uncles, aunts, and distant relatives – who want to ensure that the caste bloodline remains ‘pure’ and is not contaminated by the impure blood of lower castes, or, god forbid, blood of those castes formerly known as Untouchables, writes Suraj Yengde

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Here is a historical piece of writing by India’s first female Dalit writer Mukta Salve. At the time of writing this essay, she was merely 14 years old and a student at the school run by Jotirao and Savitribai Phule

Savitribai Phule’s letters are still relatively unknown. They demonstrate her concerns for society, love for humanity, revolt against injustices, anger against the casteist mindset and hope for building an egalitarian society, writes Siddharth

A. K. Biswas unearths from 19th century Bengal the life and battle of Dayamoyee, an illiterate ‘untouchable’ widow. She fought a relentless legal battle against the brahmanical feudal system that had already permeated into the halls of justice

V. Geetha writes that Periyar held that annihilation of caste would necessitate ‘the abolition of God, Religion, Shastras and Brahmins’. He also attacked patriarchy and ‘Brahmin nationalism’ in pursuit of true human freedom